Portable imaging devices and systems for real-time visualization of bacteria and related methods

Abstract

A method of visualizing bacteria in real time includes positioning a portable frame of a portable imaging system relative to a target, wherein the portable imaging system includes a camera and an excitation light source mounted on the portable frame, operating the portable imaging system in a hands-free manner to illuminate the target with excitation light having at least one wavelength to cause at least one biomarker associated with the target to fluoresce and to detect fluorescence of the at least one biomarker with the camera.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of visualizing bacteria in real time, comprising:
 positioning a portable frame of a portable imaging system relative to a target, wherein the portable imaging system includes a camera and an excitation light source mounted on the portable frame,   operating the portable imaging system in a hands-free manner to:
 illuminate the target with excitation light having at least one wavelength to cause at least one biomarker associated with the target to fluoresce; and 
 detect fluorescence of the at least one biomarker with the camera. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target is selected from the group consisting of a surgical field, a wound, a tumor, an organ, a skin target, a biological target, a non-biological target, a food product, a plant material, an oral target, an ear-nose-throat target, an ocular target, a genital target, and an anal target. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one biomarker is selected from the group consisting of bacteria, fungi, yeast, spores, virus, microbes, parasites, connective tissues, tissue components, exudates, pH, blood vessels, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), microorganisms, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelial growth factor (EGF), epithelial growth factor, epithelial cell membrane antigen (ECMA), hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1), carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), laminin, fibrin, fibronectin, fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factors (TGF), fibroblast activation protein (FAP), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), inducible and endothelial NOS, lysosomes in cells, macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), anti-neuropeptides, neutral endopeptidase (NEP), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), neutrophil elastases, cathepsins, arginases, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and keratinocytes, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), myofibroblasts, interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumour necrosis factor (TNF), nitric oxide (NO), c-myc, beta-catenin, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and MMP inhibitors. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the detected fluorescence to guide a medical or therapeutic procedure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target is a wound and further comprising using the detected fluorescence to guide debridement of the wound. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting the presence or location of one or more strains of bacteria based on the detected fluorescence. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more strains of bacteria is selected from the group consisting of: bacteria of the  Staphylococcus  genus, bacteria of the  Staphylococcus aureus  species,  Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterobacter sakazakii, Campylobacter  species bacteria, coliform bacteria,  Escherichia coli  bacteria,  Propionibacterium acnes , and  Salmonella.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising differentiating the presence or location of two or more different bacterial strains based on the detected fluorescence. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target is a wound and further comprising directly or indirectly visualizing bacteria in the wound in real time by viewing fluorescence emitted by the at least one biomarker associated with the wound. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising engaging a filter to block excitation light. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target is illuminated with excitation light having one or more wavelengths of about 400 nm to 450 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target is a wound and the wound is illuminated with blue excitation light and/or violet excitation light. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the camera is a video camera and detecting fluorescence of the at least one biomarker with the camera includes capturing the fluorescence with an imaging sensor of the video camera. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising powering the excitation light source of the portable imaging system with a rechargeable battery pack. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising switching the portable imaging system between a fluorescent imaging mode in which the excitation light source is emitting excitation light and a standard imaging mode in which the excitation light source is not emitting light. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 illuminating the target with white light emitted by the portable imaging system; and   capturing an image of the target illuminated by the white light with the camera.   
     
     
         17 . A method of visualizing bacteria in a wound in real time, comprising:
 positioning a portable frame of a portable imaging system relative to a wound, wherein the portable imaging system includes a camera and an excitation light source mounted on the portable frame;   operating the portable imaging system in a hands-free manner to illuminate the wound with excitation light having at least one wavelength to cause at least one biomarker associated with the wound to fluoresce; and   visualizing bacteria in the wound by viewing fluorescence emitted by the at least one biomarker associated with the wound.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein visualizing bacteria in the wound by viewing fluorescence emitted by the at least one biomarker associated with the wound includes directly visualizing the bacteria in the wound by viewing fluorescence emitted by the at least one biomarker associated with the wound with the unaided eye. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising using the fluorescence emitted by the at least one biomarker associated with the wound to guide debridement of the wound. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising detecting the fluorescence emitted by the at least one biomarker associated with the wound with the camera of the portable imaging system. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein visualizing bacteria in the wound by viewing fluorescence emitted by the at least one biomarker associated with the wound includes indirectly visualizing the bacteria in the wound by viewing fluorescence emitted by the at least one biomarker associated with the wound and detected with the camera of the portable imaging system on a viewing screen. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising detecting the presence or location of one or more strains of bacteria based on the viewed fluorescence. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising engaging a filter to block excitation light. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the wound is illuminated with blue excitation light and/or violet excitation light.